Rechargeable lithium batteries, which are attractive as power sources for portable electronics, use organic electrolyte, and exhibit twice the discharge capacity of conventional batteries with alkaline aqueous solution electrolyte with higher energy density.
Positive active materials for the positive electrodes of rechargeable lithium batteries use lithium and transition metal-included oxides having a structure being capable of intercalating lithium. Examples include LiCoO2, LiMn2O4, and LiNi1-xCoxO2 (0<x<1). Negative active materials in a negative electrode use crystalline carbon, amorphous carbon, or a composite of carbon.
The positive electrode and the negative electrode are produced by mixing the active material, a binder and optionally a conductive agent to a composition in the form of slurry, and coating the composition on a current collector. The current collector generally uses aluminum for the positive electrode, and copper for the negative electrode.
Though a rechargeable lithium battery exhibits relatively high energy density and good cycle life characteristics, the rapid development in the corresponding electronics industries require still further improvements in the energy density and cycle life characteristics.